China conducts coast guard patrol around disputed shoal in South China Sea

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - China on Saturday said that it carried out coast guard patrols around the Scarborough Shoal, where it has a sovereignty dispute with the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Coast Guard, in a statement, said it has continued to strengthen law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters and surrounding areas of Scarborough Shoal since the beginning of November, and “resolutely safeguarding the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

Tensions between Beijing and Manila over disputed areas of the South China Sea have further escalated in recent months.

Competing claims of territorial sovereignty over islands and smaller features in the South China Sea have been a longstanding source of tension in the region.

The sea -- a crucial passage for a significant portion of the world’s commercial shipping -- is bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Spreading over 3.5 million square kilometers, nearly one-third of the world's shipping estimated at $11.3 billion worth of trade annually, pass through this waterway, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.